Talk-A-Vino

And just like that, I almost missed International Pinot Noir Day, the celebration of one of the most popular red grapes in the world.

Pinot Noir is definitely one of the most popular, even though great Pinot Noirs are mainly limited to only four countries and regions – Burgundy, Oregon, New Zealand, and California – unlike Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, which definitely win the popularity contest worldwide, growing successfully absolutely everywhere. Of course, you have Pinot Nero from Italy, Spätburgunder from Germany, Blauburgunder from Austria, Pinot Noir from Australia, Chile, and Argentina, but those rarely take your breath away.

Most popular or not can be contested, but Pinot Noir without a doubt makes the most expensive wines in the world. You can check it for yourself using this “Most expensive wines” page but at the moment of writing (August 18, 2023), Domaine Leroy Musigny Grand Cru is listed by wine-searcher for $43,869 per bottle, which I believe is more than the whole index of the most expensive Cabernet Sauvignon wines on the same day. I really can’t tell if wine can be worth this much to someone to drink it, but hey, it is a free world.

Pinot Noir is definitely a big subject in this blog. I decided to check on some numbers to see how Pinot Noir would stand up against other grapes. In terms of overall mentions, Pinot Noir is the second red grape with 378 posts mentioning it (Cabernet Sauvignon is ahead by almost 100 with 477 posts mentioning it). However, when it comes to tags, Pinot Noir has the highest number of posts, 79, tagged with “pinot noir”, well ahead of any other grape. This is important simply because the tag is matching the content of the post, so at least 79 posts are dedicated to Pinot Noir.

This shouldn’t come as a surprise as Pinot Noir is one of the central subjects of this blog, starring in the series of the Oregon winemakers’ interviews called Stories of Passion and Pinot. The series contains more than 25 articles, highlighting the “passion for the finicky grape” as I typically like to present it through the series of conversations with winemakers who got bitten by the Pinot Noir bug and never looked back. Whether you like Oregon Pinot Noir or not, I still recommend that you would get a glass (or two, or three) of your favorite Pinot Noir ready and go read some stories.

While I love Pinot Noir, I do have one gripe – the price. You can find an amazing Rioja for under $20. You can definitely find a nice Grenache, Sangiovese, or Syrah in that price range. Heck, you might even get lucky with Cabernet Sauvignon or Bordeaux blend. But with the exception of Chile, there is literally no such thing as a drinkable Pinot Noir in the under $20 range. I can’t refer much to Burgundies, but anything tasty from New Zealand’s Central Otago or Marlboro is pushing $40, and all delicious Oregon Pinot Noirs now really sit north of $50. California might offer some exceptions, but I’m not aware of a drinkable sub-$20 California Pinot Noir. Not that I’m complaining here, just stating the obvious.

As today’s celebration caught me off guard, I didn’t have many options to choose from. I have a few random burgundies which I need to look for and think about, nothing from Oregon or New Zealand, leaving California as a primary hope. I remembered that I should have a California Pinot somewhere as it was recently gifted to me, so I was quickly able to locate the 2017 Etude Fiddlestix Vineyard Pinot Noir Santa Rita Hills (14.1% ABV).

I know the name of the producer – Etude, but I don’t think I had tasted their wines before. Turns out this wine was a very appropriate choice for the Pinot Noir Day celebration, as Etude was founded in 1982 in Carneros in California in a quest to produce world-class Pinot Noir. I love this quote I found on Etude’s website from the founder and winemaker Tony Soter: “Pinot Noir is the most appropriate vehicle with which to study wine growing, precisely because of its demanding nature but also because of its delicacy and transparency. Make no mistake it is a humbling pursuit, but when it’s right, Pinot Noir is a glorious and moving thing. It is in the pursuit of that experience that we all work.” This is a perfect summary of the nature of Pinot Noir that also helps to explain what makes it so good when it is good. Etude produces more than 20 designation-specific Pinot Noir wines – they might be a perfect candidate for the Passion and Pinot series, even if the winery is located in California.

So how was the wine you might ask? In a word, delicious. Dark, unctuous fruit on the nose and the palate, a hint of vanilla, mocha and dark chocolate, nicely layered with perfect structural presence but not overpowering, perfect acidity and perfect balance. An excellent celebratory wine.

There you are, my friends. Another grape holiday just passed by. Hope you had an opportunity to celebrate, and if not – every day is a perfect day to have a glass of Pinot Noir. Until the next time – cheers!